Improvement in signal-lanterns



F. A. SC'JHULZEL SIGNAL-LANTERN. 7

Bate-med April 4, 1876.

mime.

Dave/war:

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIOE,

FREDERICK A. SCHULE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SIGNAL-LANTERNS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,627, dated April 1876; application filed January 15, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A'. SoHULE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lanterns, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an isometrical perspective view.

My invention relates to that class of lanterns which are employed for signaling on railways, ships, 8220.; and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, by which a more effective device of this character is produced than is now in ordinary use.-

The nature and operation of my invention will be readily obvious to all conversant with such matters from the following description.

In the drawing, A represents the body or case of the lantern; B, the cover; C, a whiteglass lens, and F the reflector. The cover is curved orconcavo-convex in form, one of its ends being hinged to the side of the body, and the other secured, when shut, by means of the spring-catch Q. Alamp, G, is so disposed within the lantern as to throw its rays directly upon the lens C through an opening in the roar orinner end of the conical reflector F, and above this openingtwocolored glasses, L M, are mounted 'on the horizontally-journaled shaft J, which extends through the side of the lantern, and is bent at rightangles, forming a crank, as shown at N. The glasses L M are so disposed on the shaft J that when the crank N is turned to a vertical position, and secured by the link or hasp 0, they will both be elevated to the same horizontal plane above the opening F, as shown; but when the crank N is turned either to the right or left to strike the stop 1, the glass L or M, as the case may be, will be brought directly opposite the lens, or between the opening F and lamp G, causing thelantern to show alight corresponding with the color of the glass so interposed. Agravitating balance-weight, K, is fixed upon the shaft J in such a position, in respect to the glasses L M, that when the crank N is in a vertical position the weight will be directly over the shaft, and when the crank is in a horizontal position the weight will be thrown to that side of the shaft corresponding with the position of the crank, or so as to keep the glass then before the opening F in a proper position, or from becoming accidentally displaced.

In the use of my improvement it will be obvious that when a white light is required the crank N should be secured in avertical position, as shown in the drawing, and that by turning the crank sufficientl y to the right (r left, lights corresponding, respectively, with the color of the glasses M L will be produced.

Having thus explained my'invention, what I claim is In a signal-lantern, substantially such as described, the colored glasses L M, weight K, and crank-shaft J, arranged to operate in combination with the lens C and lamp G, as and for the purpose specified.

FREDERICK A. SCHULE.

Witnesses:

O. A. SHAW, H. E. METoALE. 

